WIRELESS CONTROLLER WITH GATEWAY

• US 20080011864A1
• Filed: 07/12/2007
• Published: 01/17/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/02/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ademco Inc. (Resideo Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Tessier, Patrick, Hartzler, Jeffrey
• Granted Patent: US 8,870,086 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 236/51
• CPC Class Codes: F24D 19/1084 for air heating systems
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/30 for purposes related to the operation of the system, e.g. for safety or monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/46 Improving electric energy efficiency or saving
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/52 Indication arrangements, e.g. displays
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/56 Remote control
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/58 using Internet communication
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/62 characterised by the type of control or by internal processing, e.g. using fuzzy logic, adaptive control or estimation of values
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2110/00 Control inputs relating to air properties
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2120/20 Feedback from users
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2600/07 Remote controls
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 13/02 electric

Abstract

Remote control of energy consumption is realized using a readily installable, flexible approach. According to an example embodiment of the present invention, a remote source communicates with a wireless controller for executing energy usage control. The remote source sends signals to the wireless controller via a gateway located near or, in one implementation, forming part of the wireless controller. In response to the signals, the wireless controller sets control settings for operating one or more of a variety of equipment types, such as a furnace, air conditioner, water heater or heat pump. With this approach, wired connections from the gateway to energy-consuming equipment do not necessarily need to be made in order to effect remote energy-consumption control. For instance, when used in connection with a controller wired to the energy-consuming equipment, the gateway need only communicate wirelessly with the controller and does not necessarily need to be coupled to the energy-consuming equipment. In addition, access to the energy-consuming equipment for establishing remote energy control is not necessary; rather, the remote energy control can be effected by accessing user-friendly locations, such as those where thermostats and other controllers are typically located.

Claims

1. A thermostat for use in controlling an HVAC system of a building or other structure, the building or other structure having a gateway for receiving one or more load shedding messages from a utility, the thermostat comprising:

a user interface for allowing a user to interact with the thermostat;

a wireless transceiver for wirelessly communicating with the gateway of the building or other structure, wherein the gateway is located remotely from the thermostat;

a temperature sensor for sensing a temperature inside the building or other structure and for providing a signal related to the sensed temperature; and

a thermostat controller coupled to the user interface, the wireless transceiver and the temperature sensor, the thermostat controller having a control algorithm for controlling the HVAC system based, at least in part, on the signal provided by the temperature sensor, the control algorithm including a load shedding algorithm, wherein the thermostat controller employs the load shedding algorithm when the thermostat controller receives one or more load shedding messages from the remotely located gateway via the wireless transceiver.

2. The thermostat of claim 1 wherein the thermostat includes:

a thermostat housing and a thermostat base, wherein the thermostat housing is removably coupled to the thermostat base such that when the thermostat housing is coupled to the thermostat base, one or more electrical signals can be communicated between the thermostat housing and the thermostat base; and

the thermostat housing carrying the user interface, the temperature sensor and the controller, and the thermostat base carrying the a wireless transceiver.

3. The thermostat of claim 2 wherein the thermostat base is adapted to be mounted to an interior wall of the building or other structure.

4. The thermostat of claim 3 wherein the thermostat base includes one or more wire connectors, wherein the one or more wire connectors are adapted to accept and retain one or more control wires from the HVAC system.

5. The thermostat of claim 1 wherein the thermostat controller is adapted to provide one or more operational characteristics of the HVAC system to the remotely located gateway via the wireless transceiver.

6. The thermostat of claim 1 wherein the thermostat controller is adapted to provide one or more informational messages to the remotely located gateway via the wireless transceiver.

7. The thermostat of claim 1 wherein the thermostat controller is adapted to provide information related to a user intervention of a load shedding event when the controller is employing the load shedding algorithm.

8. The thermostat of claim 1 wherein the load shedding algorithm of the controller allows a user to opt out of a load shedding event via the user interface, when the load shedding event is initiated by one or more of the load shedding messages.

9. The thermostat of claim 1 wherein the gateway is located outside of the building or other structure.

10. The thermostat of claim 1 wherein the load shedding algorithm includes changing a set point of the thermostat in order to reduce the energy consumed.

11. The thermostat of claim 1 wherein the load shedding algorithm includes cycling the HVAC system in order to reduce the energy consumed.

12. The thermostat of claim 1 wherein the HVAC system includes an air heating component.

13. The thermostat of claim 1 wherein the HVAC system includes an air cooling component.

14. The thermostat of claim 1 wherein the wireless transceiver is an RF transceiver.

15. The thermostat of claim 1 wherein the wireless transceiver enters a low power mode when not communicating with the remotely located gateway.

16. The thermostat of claim 1 wherein one or more of the load shedding messages provided to the controller from the remotely located gateway include a price tier.

17. The thermostat of claim 16 wherein the controller is adapted to display a message related to the price tier via the user interface.

18. The thermostat of claim 1 wherein the wireless transceiver is configured and arranged to bind to the gateway during initialization.

19. The thermostat of claim 1 wherein the controller is adapted to receive one or more user access messages from the remotely located gateway via the wireless transceiver, and provide one or more user responses, wherein the one or more user access messages allow a user to remotely control the thermostat.

20. A thermostat for use in controlling an HVAC system of a building or other structure, the building or other structure having a gateway for receiving one or more load shedding messages from a utility, the thermostat comprising:

a user interface for allowing a user to control the thermostat;

a wireless transceiver for wirelessly communicating with the gateway of the building or other structure, wherein the gateway is located remotely from the thermostat;

a temperature sensor for sensing a temperature inside the building or other structure and for providing a signal related to the sensed temperature; and

a thermostat controller coupled to the user interface, the wireless transceiver and the temperature sensor, the thermostat controller having a control algorithm for controlling the HVAC system based, at least in part, on the signal provided by the temperature sensor, the control algorithm including a load shedding algorithm, wherein the thermostat controller employs the load shedding algorithm when the thermostat controller receives one or more load shedding messages from the remotely located gateway via the wireless transceiver;

one or more wire connectors for adapted to accept and retain one or more control wires from the HVAC system.

21. The thermostat of claim 30 wherein the thermostat includes:

a thermostat housing and a thermostat base, wherein the thermostat housing is removably coupled to the thermostat base such that when the thermostat housing is coupled to the thermostat base, one or more electrical signals are communicated between the thermostat housing and the thermostat base; and

the thermostat housing carrying the user interface, the temperature sensor and the controller, and the thermostat base carrying the a wireless transceiver and the one or more wire connectors.

22. A thermostat for use in controlling an HVAC system of a building or other structure, the building or other structure having a gateway for receiving one or more load shedding messages from a utility, the thermostat comprising:

a user interface for allowing a user to interact with the thermostat;

a wireless transceiver for wirelessly communicating with the gateway of the building or other structure, wherein the gateway is located remotely from the thermostat;

a temperature sensor for sensing a temperature inside the building or other structure and for providing a signal related to the sensed temperature; and

a thermostat controller coupled to the user interface, the wireless transceiver and the temperature sensor, the thermostat controller having a control algorithm for controlling the HVAC system based, at least in part, on the signal provided by the temperature sensor, the control algorithm including a load shedding algorithm that includes changing a set point of the thermostat to reduce the energy consumed by the HVAC system, wherein the thermostat controller employs the load shedding algorithm when the thermostat controller receives one or more load shedding messages from the remotely located gateway via the wireless transceiver.